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Congresswoman Betty McCollum logo

McCollum Statement on Border Security

January 10, 2019

President Trump's shutdown of the federal government has harmed federal employees, our economy, and our national security. I have voted and will continue to vote to end his shutdown and reopen the government. President Trump's demands for over $5 billion for a wall along our southern border will do nothing to make America safer or fix our broken immigration system. President Trump has systematically misled the American people by claiming there is a crisis of undocumented immigrants crossing the border.

This is categorically false.

In 2018, Customs and Border Protection apprehended fewer undocumented immigrants at the southern border than the yearly average during the previous decade. President Trump has also failed to acknowledge that a majority of illegal immigration occurs as a result of people overstaying their temporary visas – something a wall would do nothing to prevent.

I am a strong supporter of smart border security that works.

What the Department of Homeland Security needs is adequate funding for surveillance technology and personnel so that our borders, our ports, and our airports are properly staffed and our laws are enforced. President Trump and Republicans controlled Congress and the White House for two years and did absolutely nothing to prioritize building their wall. President Trump's demands were nothing more than a pretext to shut down the federal government, which I completely reject.

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